Portable refuse and recycling containers are well known in the art. Typical containers consist of wheeled carts formed from PVC or another suitable polymeric material. Such carts are cumbersome to move, difficult to empty and must be thoroughly rinsed after each use. Various bins and barrels are also used for collecting and storing recyclable materials; however, such containers typically have rigid, opaque sides that conceal the contents of the containers, thus increasing the likelihood that refuse and recyclable materials will be inadvertently deposited and mixed together within a single container.
While containers exist which are intended for use with disposable plastic bags, such containers are not designed to permit simple installation and removal of the bags therefrom. To the contrary, the components used in such containers often fail to effectively engage the bags or maintain the bags in a stationary position relative thereto. Because the bags are inadequately secured to the containers, the bags tend to rip away from the containers soon after the bags begin to fill with recycled materials. Such containers are also difficult and time consuming to assemble and distribute, which makes them unsuitable for use at special events or other large scale public gatherings.